‘Up there with the Grand Canyon’: Arizona’s 1st Buc-ee’s travel center opens in Goodyear
Texas-grown travel center Buc-ee's opened its long-awaited first Arizona location in Goodyear on Monday.
Watch: Massive crowds at Buc-ee's opening! | 1 min
Texas-grown travel center Buc-ee’s opened its long-awaited first Arizona location in Goodyear on Monday.
Anyone wanting to fill up their tank, buy snacks like Beaver Nuggets and beef jerky, snag a T-shirt or just be a part of the experience should expect heavy traffic in the area for the grand opening.
Customers and employees let out a cheer as the mega-convenience store and gas station opened its doors at 6 a.m. The lines started much earlier, however, after the parking lot on the southeast corner of Bullard Avenue and Interstate 10 opened at midnight.
“It’s almost better than Christmas morning,” said one early-arriving customer.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs was on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m.
“I have learned from Buc-ee’s enthusiasts that people plan entire road trips around Buc-ee’s locations,” Hobbs said. “And so I’m excited that this will be another landmark for Arizona, right up there with the Grand Canyon.”
The Arizona Buc-ee’s, which has 120 fueling stations, is the company’s westernmost travel center.
Traffic route, restrictions to know ahead of Buc-ee’s opening in Goodyear
The only way to access the Buc-ee’s at 1001 N. Bullard Ave. on its opening day is via the east- and westbound I-10 off ramps at Bullard Avenue, but that’s just a start.
Once vehicles exit the freeway, they will have to follow a dedicated 6.5-mile route that goes south on Bullard to Lower Buckeye Road before looping back up northbound Bullard and toward the travel center.
All Goodyear businesses along the designated route will remain open.
The eastbound I-10 ramp at Estrella Parkway is closed for the grand opening.
Details on 1st Buc-ee’s in Arizona
Buc-ee’s has developed a cult following for its kitschy style, seemingly endless variety of snacks and abundance of unique souvenirs.
The privately owned beaver-branded company has been around for decades, but its TikTok-optimized atmosphere seems custom-made for the social media era.
At 74,000 square feet, Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s is large enough to hold a football field and three basketball courts. Construction began in October 2024 on former farmland that the company purchased for $17.24 million.
It’s a tad smaller than the Luling, Texas, location, which is the world’s largest convenience store at 75,593 square feet.
Buc-ee’s has been known for its clean restrooms, supersized fueling areas and novelty food and drink items since 1982. It’s not a truck stop, because it doesn’t serve big rigs.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak and Kevin Stone contributed to this report.
This is a updated version of a story originally published June 21, 2026.
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Comments
17 Comments
The older I get, I have come to the conclusion...
NOTHING is worth that much to wait more than a handful of minutes in a long line: grand openings, concerts, popular restaurants, and etc.
The bands I grew up with have long departed ways or their beloved members are now deceased.
: {(
Not totally sure why anyone would want to attend the opening of what is essentially a mega-sized, glorified QuikTrip. But then again, the beaver in the logo is wearing a red hat... hmmm....
This must be the same crowd that was at the grand opening of IKEA!?!
¡Leeeewwwwwsers!